The Sun. — London, England, 1810-11-30 00:00:00

'temperate exercise of their discretion, to alio* of a ifurther interval, during which the expectation which had been cherished inight;be happily realised. With this hope, he should recommend another adjourn- I fourteen days ; feeling that that -might be t a very important period, and that during that petioil , :'the • accomplishment ,9f the- objean.fcir which. the House and the-Country so ardently prayed, required that - the- subject 4hould -be - agitated as little As pos kible.- He 'was free to declare, however ; that at the expiration of-the period to!Which-he Tecom,tnentled the-House to,adjourn, unless- , such 04. amendment s!touid . take place in ,his * Majesty's health as to afford a reasonable hope of his speedy. recovery, he slronid not-consider it ,consistent -with the public in terest- farther to delay taking Parliamentary steps to sopply -the deficiency in the Executive ~,Governr irett.., Belpre he sat down,,he would ' advert to some Objedions which- it was probable would be niadeto his proposition. He.-had been 'given to un derstand that it would be urged, , that .by adopting that proposition, the House would aCt in, opposition to the precedent - of • 1788, and in direliction of their duly. With respect: to that part -of the objection which relp.ted to precedent, he could not conceive that any than could so misapply and misconstrue the precedent of 1788, as to suppose that it would be contradicted by the adoption of the present proposi tion..- In . 1788, the Hour proCeeded to an investi gation of their own, conceiving justly that they had no-right to take any steps, but on information - . which they had themselves obtained, Far would it be from him to propose, a departure from such a precedent. Were he standing there .to propose the commencement of a proceeding, the effect of which would be,no less than for an interval (how ever he might hope to, God short) ; to dethrone the Monarch, he should hold .it impossible, that the ,House could comrnende such a proceeding without an inquiry into the facts instituted by themselves, and carried-on in the most formal and satisfactory.man net.. When he had used the phrase ". to dethrone the Monarch" for a time, libwever short, he knew that the Royal authority must be supplied, btu the re moval was equally to dethrone. In t7BB, the House -had not the present satisiadory information imparted to them. Progress of amendment then there. was none : now a confident expectation was entertained of his Majesty's recovery'—it probability existed that 'that recovery would'. not be long retarded ; and an `assurauce was given-that an amendment had adually `commenced. The cases, therefore, were not ana -711 the 'House were now called- upon to -stipp:y the clt..ficiency 'in , Oe Executive Authority, then Inked the I , reced , 2nt of 1788 would be ap-, plicanie. But CoUtd it be contended that for the tnerepurpose-of suspend!rig their proceedings, the precedent 4-1788 reyoir ,, d the fur anal ity of an In quiry instituted by thinselves ? Directly the con trary. The House would hive the goodness like-; wise to {bserve, how the question in 1788 termi -•nated. Tney would ;find tip t afer proceeding for three months 5 Gat after the di,cussious had ripened - into the R. g..-ney Rill, which had passed through the }louse of Commons, and was in a Committee in the other House—the bare statement of the ,Lord Clian 7 on,the .Ig-0i day of- Ft:b;uary, 1789, of the amendment of his i\l,:jesty!s.healtb, was thought sut. fici&nt to induce an adjournment fur : five or six days. A sccond siate►nent. at a similar niture occasioned a second adjournment, and by successive adjournments the Parliamentary pit:redings wi re suspended until the 9th .- of March. It thus appeared, that on the bare statement of his M ,jesty:s amended health, without any formal inquiry in the ficti, the measures in con- tern platiOri at that period %ere sospen..ed ,for three weeks. He certainty could not say-7-would‘to God that be could the examination of the Phy sicians, which .had been-laid on the table by his R'ght Honourable Friend, proved his Majesty's health to be as much recovered as it was when Lord Thutlow..tuade. the declaration to which he had al:. hided. He had adverted to that occurrence, in an swer- to those:who might found their objections to the • present propo , ,ivion, on what they would term precedent, to shew, that in the course now recommended by his Majesty's Ministers, they were not justly-chargeable with the violation of any -pre cedent whatever. Apprehending, therefore, that the House were not called upon, either by preced ent, or by Constitutional; .do any thing but exercise. their sound r discretion: on the subjed, which, .So linhappily . for. the public in terest, required their decision, he thought that he could not advise a course by which their wis dom could be more clearly manifested, than by moving, • " That at its rising, the •Floute do-adjourn to this day fortnight. . - Mr.' WiIITBREAII; - aciver:ing to- the declaration made by- the Right 'Hon. Gentleman, that: he , had heard of intended objections to his proposed' ad jOurnmenr, observed that he also, .(Mr. W:) •had undentood before he came down to. the House, that -it was in the contemplation (4' the Right. Hon. Gentleman to propose an aJjournment, although he had been told that the term of that proposed ad journment would be only half that which he now found the Right- Hon. Gentleman-recommended. He= confessed; however, that not withstanding this infor mation, and having also heard the depositions of his Majesty's Physicians, he still could not be .brought to believe, until . this moment, that in the existing fitufgiutt of the country, and-after the two adjourn , - ments which had taken place, the Right Hon. Gen tlernan would- be hardy enough io propose a further suspension of their proceedings. By the Report• deltvered in by the-Right lion. the Secretary -of t State • (and he must. here express his: satisfaction-. that owing to the interposition-of his Hon. Friend near him, that report h id not been - received with out a question), -it aipeaied that afier.an interval of. - many weeks, his Mrijesty.was still•;whollyincipable of attending to public bhsiness. The Physicians were also unanimous in fixing on no period as that - of the probable termination of ,his, Majesty's disorder. In 'what situation the- House. and the country stood, when the King became incapable. diScharging the .high and important duties .of. is station,' . would -t,e best described ifi the ot -'Lord Camden, who, 'on a. similar. on, Aeciared, " That the whole functions - • Executive' Government were thereby , would pito - a retrospea.. of t - Aosaet ions. In -the -first instance, letters written by his Majesiv's Ministers to ss only who were faVourable to their .o the House assembled on the Ist instalT, ands. 4tljoiirried for'a fOr i tni - glif. On the' 15th, havfitiLagtlio assembled in full number, ano ther adjoarhine4 was prop?sed. Agaiost that journiiient be--(Mr. W.}...protested, and a division taking piece, he divided. The Right Hon. Gentle man-had founded his proposition of the 15 - th on the circumstance of his having just. retained from Wind-. sor, Jud of : his being enabled to declare, " ].hat his Majeiti seas in a state of progressive amendment." . Agairft tfre qtigfit Hon. Getillemao had used the satmoconScrliibry but dellistve words. Deceived,hy thetnaence; - would the House .allow themselves to bedeceived by. them a second time? Ii ori the 1511 t,, the House had adopted the propositien, which he had recommended, of adjourning from day to day, would it. have been possible that they v.ou,t i ,d now be so re mote from the situation in which they ought to fitsd thernselVes; that they, would now be so remote from the preliminary step to the removal of the existing deficiency ? Was it not evident; that on the evening 'of the f 5 !heat the very moment that. the Right Hon. ,Gentleman was talking in that House of the " pro-. gressiveamendthent". of his Majesty, his Majesty's ,malady had considerably increased ? Did the guile tins tell truth or falsehood ? It the latter, they were' a base imposition on the Public ; it the former, they involved direct contradictions. The Bulletin of Fri day the i6th declared, that his Majesty was not so well as on the preceding day; and in that of Satur day the 17th, it was said, that for the last .two days the fever of the King had been higher ; iuclechog, consequently, in that description, Thursday the tub,- on which day the Right Hon. - Gentleman declared his Majesty to be in a state of progressive amend meht, and to which day the Bulletin of the tpth re- . ferred, as a day on which his M ijesty had been cern paratively well. He might justly enter aprotest against some of the proceedihgs of the Privy Council, and par ticularly against one of thequestions which, in his opi nion, ought not to be asked. But lie_ particularly in sisted on the absurdity of using the tei " progress ive amendment," when one of the Physicians (Dr. Baillie) had expressly said, that " during the last ten days," . his Majesty was better ;" necesseriiy exclud ing the day on which the Right Hon. Gentlettari had declared that, his Majesty was in a state of "pro gressive amendment ;" and distinelly implying that he was worse-before that period of ten days.. The fluduation of his Majesty's disorder.was hereby ren dered evident, and not seeing a probability that in the interval proposed his Majesty would be sib far recovered as to be capable of exercising all' those royal functions which, at a time like the present, it was So necessary should be duly exercised, he should on that ground alone divide the House, on the ere sent question,, and call for an examination of the Physicians by a Gotninittee, as aprelutte to further proceedings. Had the House cm 'the; 15th adopted the adjournment from day to day, and had they then -seen, as , they would.have seen, that insieed of amend ing, his Majesty's health was untrtunately.getting ,worse, would it therefore have been possible for them to' have resisted a motion for an examination of 'the PhySicians ? He contended, that it would have-been impossible. With every feeling. of .per: ! sonal delicacy towards the King, he felt the strong. est delicacy towards the people and, towards . the Con stitution. When people talked of personal delicacy in a case like this, to a Monarch so long and so justly beloved, they ought, to be cautious how they applied the term. He was persuaded that his Majesty would 'scorn to be told, that in-consulting his delicacy they did not hesitate ter bring the high office, by the due' discharge of the duties of which his Majesty had made himself so beloved,, into disrepute. He would ask,' could any net of authority be promulgeted throughout these realms to which in the present cir cumstances obedience was due ? Was there aseat of justice ? Was there a fountain of . mercy ? Could an army be commanded ? Could an army - be recalled ? Could reintorcements be sent, to Lord Wellington ?, Could an unfortunate culprit be pardoned ? Did his Majesty's Ministers wish to persuade the House of 'Commons to connive at the extinction of th 6 Royal Authority ? They would not dethrone the Monarch, but they would take-the crown from the Coostitu tion. To insure obedience, protection illust be in sured. Where was that pretection at the present moment ? In his Majesty's Ministers? If so, they were Regents. Could they even • legally convene the Privy Council ?- :.Might not any other Privy Councillors assemble that, body, and for any other purpose ? Could even'the paper that evening laid on the table of the House be legally produced ? Ne cessity certainly justified its production; but that necessity ought to be removed the instant that the power existed to remove it. And let the House consider at- what a period' all this was 'occur ring ! At a time when .weeks carried a load under Which centuries had heretofore staggered. if accident were to befal our Cotihnanders abroad, how would their- loss be supplied ? It an accident were to be fit' our Commander in Ctrief at home, how would his loss be supplied ? If his Majesty's Ministers were to. ad in such . a manner as to draw down opal' themselves -the, . displeasure of that House, bow could that displeasure be expresSed • in an ad dress,-to the Throne Did his Majesty's Ministers propose rational.. measures to obviate these difficul ties ? No.--They contented themselves with hold ing out fallacious expectations of their removal. Ever•since the examination of the, last physician, the Balletin was unfavourable. .It declared that .thee King. bade passed an .indifferent night. Let the House beware .how they permitted the keystone of the orch-of the _Constitution to be-withdrawn. The ; Right Honourable Gentleman had - talked of " de throning.", 'V, .t George I. and George If were ahsent from, the country, and the kingly office was executed by. Regehts, were those Monarchs de throned ? Would the House endure to be told dis tinctly, and threatened by inference; that' if they adopted a Constitutional proceeding, they would dethrone the Monarch ? No;" those who propos, ed the adjournment, and those whO, probably with the best intentions, supported it, were the hidi viduals from whom the Constitution would experi ence the, severest - injury. They would spew that :the country could do as well without that which had hitherto , been considered an essential - part of the Government as with it, it they could prove, that so long as it was probable that the King might recover, so lung the Government could gó 'on without any , King at all. , ht 1788, the novelly of the circum stances in which the country was placed, was an apology for the omission which hadbeen 'allowed, and tthe errors which ; bad been committed at that pe riod; but did the Right -Honourable Gentletuan, ai the head of the AArnlnistrailon, of ler the first adjournment of the House, urge a mo- 1 . nie - nt'S delay in proceeding to supply the deficiency that existed ? thing s : Though from vari ous circumstances the accomplishment of the reme dial measures proßosed was postponed, yet up to the period_of. Lord Thurlow's deciaration, not as the Right Hon. Gentleman stated it, that his Majesty's health was better, but that he was actually in a-state of convalescence, •up to that period the whole bent of both Houses of Parliament was applied to make provision for the correction of the'exist ing evil. Now; however, they were called upon to lay on their "oars; - and all , from a miSunderstood delicacy towards his Majesty who, it he. deserved to be beloved as, he was beloved, and that he did so deserve no map Could doubt, would think the Constitution of the Kingdom of far mor9 importanee than" his own iridi-' villa' feeling. « But," said the Right Hi-snow able Gentleman, " we must absiain front dis cussing. this .subje&, for fear of increasing the Royal malady." Yet in 1788 and 1789, the sub ject bad seen discussed -for three months with out any increase of that malady; and under all their debates, the King had got. wall; 'and what was the ditterence in the sNiation of the .cOntry at the two periods ? The -Right 'Hon. Gentleman at the head of affairs in 17s8, it had- always been his fate toOP pose. Whatever, however, hadteen thought of his politics, the. nation had confidence in Mr. Pitt's ta lents, and they were content to leave in his hands that poser which they thought could..not be better lodged than with him. ...But did the Gentlemen-op posite assume that they occupied such a space in the' eye; bf the people as Mr. Pitt, or that they could go on as Mr. Pitt might have gone on, without general dissatisfaction It was unquestionably most tunate, that after the, experience of the evils and dangers of .1788 and 1789, some remedy had ,not been adopted to provide against the recurrence of such an exigency. . There had been since two•me lancholy instances, the one in 1801, the other. in 1805, of a derangement in the royal mind. Out of delicacy, however--a mistaken delicacy, and in the culpabklity uf,which he-could not deny his full share— no step of a prospective nature had been taken. There were many circumstances in our. situation in 1788 materiallydifferetit from the present. His Majestywas then in the toll vigour of health ; he was not far ad vanced in years- • —he was accessible to all—he could skew himself to hisloving subjects, and receive their congratulation S—he could repair to the meta - opoli-- tan cathedial of the kingdom, there to return thanks to Providence for his recovery, and by all these means convince the .people that that recovery wa's genuine and complete.. Unhappily, however, his Ma lesty had lately been afflicted with a calamity—ahe deprivation of sight,, which rendered him inaCces bible to. his subjects,. which rendered him inacceSsi ble to the knowledge of passing eveoisexcept through: the medium or others. He was advanced in years, and was tnore in the power of other men than he was, before. These considerations had beep last year painfully forced 'upon the attention of the public by his Majesty's Ministers, who 'made hii Majesty's calamity the ground Of his inaccessibility to his subjects. ' Let the House. seriously consider these things, and then let those who could do so vote for an adjournment. He could not conceive it possible that the Right Hon. Gentleman, should üb tain the support of the House to his . motion. For himself he should vote altogether against it, feeling it an .iedispensable duty to which the House was bound, in the first - place, to ascertain the fact of- his Majesty's indisposition by' an examination of the Physicians before a Committee, and'in the next place, to take steps to supply the deficiency, if' ne cessary, and if not necessary, to be ready for any fu ture necessity that might occur. aten were the King to be restored tsrthe full possession of his fa culties, and were'lle instantly to encounter the accu mulated,busine'ss (in which he confessed that he saw a danger of relapse), still the House and the Country ought to be provided with something to which a fu ture reference might ,be made, in order to.supply any oecasionaVcleficiency in I heroyal authority. He should give. his decided negative to the motion. Mr YORKE said, the House had a .double duty to perform.; that which was due to the person of the King, and, that, -which was due to the safe ty of the People. They could not violate the duty they owed, to the King, without forgetting' that which they owed to the People; and doing their duty by ihe King, they could not fail to do their duty by the Country. There was no doubt but that the .situation in which, they found them selves was one of the greatest difficulty and embar rassment in which they could he placed. He felt it to be such, and had no doubt but it would be so con sidered by every one. Under such circumstances, tie trusted no party feelings would interfere with their deliberations, but that each would be aotuated by an anxious desire to discharge, bis duty to his King and to his Country. , There was one principle of,,attion by which their proceedings must be regulated. That House, in the present situation of things, was but an anomalous Assembly. They would not be justified in donag arty thing which was not absolutely necessary. That which was necessary was rendered legal.by the exigencies of the moment, but that w hich' was nut 'necessary, could not be regarded as legal. The last Speaker , had, supported, his : argument by strongly stating the inconveniences at preSent unfortunately experienced by the Public. There wad no question but that the inconveniences complained by the Hon, Gentleman were great, but the question for them to consider was, whether or .not the line of conduct which lie would recommend to them to I.ursue, would not be likely to lead theM into difficulties of still greater magnitude. His Right Hon. Ft lend had truly stated that the balance of evils was great. 'limas for them todecide betweenahe inconveniences which presented themselves, -and choose the lesser 'of the two. The Hon. Gentleman had adverted to the proceedings of 1788. If he (Mr. Yorke) re- membered . 'right, at that period . the proceedings of the two Houses .4:recopied nearly Three months, anal did not at' last arrive' at a conclusion`.-=lt ,was true there was a difference between the posture - of things then, and the circumstances of the present day: The House might not be then so imperiously cJiled- on to, adopt such . measures as .might in the present situation of affairs become necessary.. It might be' proper to take a more particular view of the inconveniencies they might have to eticaunter. In adopting the proposition of his Right Hon. Friend; some inconveniencies might arise; but he w,ould ask if inconvenionciea tlzigl>tt ilot also be ex2vieno. rai th eti froth appointmentthe' of • a egenal. he was persuaded that the person who WO al „ a al called upon to fill thesituatiota, liegent feel every anxiety and take every care for th e -° ;f' of the country; 'yet it might be possible for g r i:i difficulty thence to arise. A Regent Might be ' air d possibility, so ill-advised, as to viraually.ov c sti r , o . theWhifile — Syqe - fif foreign anddome'c, r be • licy. Only arguing it in nne _point of.'oo lv ,,'e avould ask if great inconveniences might n ot "r te from the condu6t of a Begent (suiniosirig t° Regent, too, but fora short time), wino wigli t g y e e at titrn the arrangements of the sysietu of the r ts- a , ing. He would only ;i4; if lie might nOt be s ° Auc t . itised as to ditier ,with respect to the-line tif o n ":" 6 , proper Ebbe pursued in foreign affairs ? Safq' o i lug he should fake such a, view of, the Conn ect ; , of this country with respeet t 6. Spain and Pott`tg" or to recall the armies' sent to the ass istanc ° those countries, might not . great inconvetnev ces be experienced on' the recovery of the reigitliaa Monarch, his armies betng so recalled dur in g'' , inc:isposition. The 14 °O. (leolleman had the'', 11,, :luded to the situation of his 'Maje,ty's servailtb.si, They undoubtedly were in a 'most einharraSs in g tuation : but they had only to do their, dot.Y , do it they must, a proper power aro se ,' 0; authority to relieve' them or to discharge ' ll' from the Offices- they held. - He stated ia an 'answer to what had , been thrown otn' the. hope that it would• give the House a V t d, per idea of' the situation - in which they ' t-u) .l,- and of the motives by which they vtere -- aet 33 . ‘ „ l i ‘ e and, he trusted that no one would suppose h is esty's • Ministers would advise the adoption of ° j tie measure which was not prompted by neeeslitY• should now take some notice of th e circutrista't-4, attending - their last' meeting ain cousequenc e °t ra p made b.y the Honourable Gcl itle11 1 ) 04 on -the- subject of the disappointment whi cit i a ot been unhappily felt. Because his ?Majesty continue to' improte from that day, e th f a. nourable Gentleman brought forward that cirouro, stance as an argument against- f urt her adi n ' d tf ment. 'That argument might be thought g n ,,is his Right Honourable Friend fished the House ab'„a to adjourn on his - own statement alone This , °u e et ever, was not the case. 16 the present iitst3"oty proceedings had been adopted with a view ' b ee 4 viate any such objection, and it had no t , I V : propbsed further to adjourn, without giv in i of House authentic information as. to the i3e31.,i10t the King.: Whatever difference of opinion b,tatt exist, with regard to what ; the preseo r of things,. might be :proper to be a lone, le er ei ' Certain that that report ,must laiTuid otnv ate satisfaction, as the • amount of it was t!' i mii King' was recovering, and not only that he sv a ' to be'again able to attend to the public busines'tio. se that the duration of his: illness was not, likelY s long, and' that at present they had the' lialirnalei,;eo know that cAsiderable indications of arnen'oeir had appeared. He concurred with the Hon* of' tlemart in thinking that'if further proceecitog s t , pPY necessary, it would be proper to' pound '''' )• afc t) ceedings on an inquiry of their own, and (3 `, 0 10" inquiry only ; but he would - ask if .the e s h - e for' tion of his Majesty's Physicians on oa th " j fo r the Privy Council was not a sufficient groT t , an adjournment ? -If at the expiration of t `'," tl y clod for which it 'was proposed to adjon r ierY o - Majesty shotfid not appear in a state of he should then be or opinion that it In t i g ai ev ef , proper to institute such an iliquiry. He - I ,' ° „ o ntri was confident, that the House an d the " - pi' would feel that they ought to wait sotne titn e o pa' er, to observe the course of his Maiesty' s altel before they proceeded to take any such steP• ii o . ught to wait another fortnight, "‘ to give h a l 0 0 e : jesty fair play ;" and in the interim take no tyt a but such as the imperious. necessity of t' might require. • 00' Mr. PONSONBY observed, that the rtigl'tt nor Gentleman, had proposed another adjournr el :i s P 6 fortnight, because the Physicians who atten d jesty had stated their Royal patient to bell -i d - 0 E of amendment, and gave it as their opinion:o3 sit': ultimate recovery- was probable. He r ejoioeu a oili t i cerely 'as any man at finding there was a Prow vale of his Majesty's -recovery. That probablii(Pe; - 4 ° ever,' was not the question before the 1 - I° Ll ! i fo . ra i ; . question was, whether or not the House, s" ° ; i icie a t i g ed, could constitutionally take that as 3 Sij kl , P- 4 ground for another adjournment for a fortnig"ifer" would now say, before the many eminent 1 1,1 tt ° who heard him, that such information. aff c ' t , o atet, l ; constitutional ground for the proposed adi ntl 'gt e He regarded the Privy Council as a body % i- e au f dignity, authority, and importance, but he c°litdo 'Jo 'they were not . authorised by -any. law, w ri v ere ' other, by any other praClice or usage w determine on the expediency' of supplyingh ' at e , j ciency in the third branch of the Esectit' c ' o att c e vernment. It was the duty of the Privy" o f ° I I to inquire into the capacity or incapaonY t i a ti s wearer of the Crown to - exercise the fon : ;", ad°, o royalty; and they had a rigitato make al e ,L n of of that capacity or 'incapacity to the stag dovo realm, the Lords and Commons ; and 1 1 4 v ` i latit ic e ; so, they had done their duty, and done l ea d ey l; they could constitutionally -- do. Who of f heard or read the history of this oon nts %ll t ,' / J Privy, Council being recognised as having 3 50 .0 0 4 supply any deficiencthat 'might arise in t br', branch of the Gun; ment ? If there were al'Y; % OP) who could bring forward any such instance),nriati. ed it to be immediately slated for the illtb ri `coo o() ,) the House. It was the duty of the FityY, le l he repeated,to report to the 'Lords and " )L ynn any such deficiencY in the thitu part of I 11 1 0 lature, and for the two remaining' branch`'`' el l , ply the deficiency. Some of the question' had been put. to the Physicians by the Pr i ` l i a te 3 ) cif he regarded as improper, and other s r sti°"p points which good sense as welt as deen, c ' t ; haVe prevented being agitated before t da d 0 1 ,1, 'But the' Right Honourable -Uentien:an I,%rittiteo that no proceedings were proposed to t r, a 011 Did he call' it ho proceeding when the ri°` l r ighi ii ,i forbear to exercise that power which was ° ,. o cee t ' t r il the public good ? In his opinion it was' n of'very great importance; and a na w hich o tl iattn e lf he treated lightly. With respect to the 0 0 o aLita t of a Rageney, he hid 'no intention of It antcbtlet°, urging such measure.• That however fo ie- io ne-Cti&lf with the question a the question b a e a was, if that,HOuse should or should not a sot power to the' Privy Council. If the o°-